Hungry in Fort Myers? Here are some suggestions

First of all, apologies for being a littie tardy with this list. I wanted to try a couple different places, and the days get away from you down here once the games start and you're driving around Florida.

I was determined to add some new places to try, and was successful. But it gets tougher each year as the list grows. There are a couple places I haven't dined at in a couple years. But, Twins fans, the locals love you. The manager of one restaurant called me a few days ago to let me know some Minnesotans had printed out my last food guide and brought it with them on their trip. That's the beauty of this blog - you can search for the title and - bam! - there it is.

Without further delay......

Welcome to LEN3's guide to dining in Fort Myers in 2014. Believe it or not, I haven't gotten around to every place on this list. Most of them? Maybe. This IS my 17th spring training covering the Twins. after all. This list is the result of many years of hard eating.

I'm sure there are other places fans want on the list. Feel free to express your opinion below. But if you're coming down to The Fort to catch the Twins in spring training, this list might be useful to you!

Breakfast

There's an IHOP and a Perkins off Cleveland Ave. (it's also called US 41 and is the main north-south drag in town). But one of my favorite breakfast places I've ever been to is First Watch. It offers more than the standard breakfast options.

I have been wearing out the Denny's that's not far from Strib HQ down here..... because it has free WiFi. And free WiFi is important in today's never-ending newsgathering cycle. But Bennett's is my fave when I don't need a big breakfast - and have time to drive downtown

Bennett's Fresh Roast The have great coffee, good breakfast sanchwhiches, internet access, great music - and they makde their donuts from scratch, DAILY, They have a maple bacon one - yes, bacon strips on the donut! - that I'm afraid to try,

Calistoga Cafe (NEW ENTRY) There are two in Naples and one in the Gulf Coast Town Center. Roomy, inviting and it has Wi-Fi!! Several people had their computers out when I walked in. It's open all day but I was there for breakfast, and the omlette I had was fluffy and tasty. It came with cheesey hash browns too! I felt no pressure to leave after I was finished eating. A great place to start your day.

How about a burger?

Fat Katz (NEW ENTRY) Acting on a tip, I rolled into this place, which has been coverted from some drive through restaurant. Not a fan of the decor - sort of like a new sports bar that has a nice bar but no character. I ordered the mushroom and swiss burger (which I normally don't order) and it was outstanding! The server told me the burgers are made out of three different kinds of beef that is grounded on site. I'm a fan of the food. Word is the flat breads are good too!

Italian

There's only one place I go to down here - Nino's. Great service. If you see a round, smiling Italian man walking around, that's the owner, Graziano. He treats every customer like family.

The Shrimp Aurora and Lobster Ravioli are excellent. Joe C. likes the lasagna. The pizzas are very good. The trap is eating all the salad and a couple pieces of bread before the main course arrives. You'll end up taking half of it home. The preferred location off Daniels Road has expanded and is right down the road from Hammond Stadium, too!

Tried the Clams Posillipo last week. Very good. Ask to have it with clam sauce, It's a little lighter.

Seafood

The Lighthouse. A little pricey but outstanding. One friend said it was the best calamari she's ever had. A buddy said he had the best ribeye he ever had. I had the yellowtail snapper and it was very good. I had scallops the next year and they were excellent. Highly recommended for you couples.

The Blue Pointe. This place is a little pricey too but very. very good. Located in the Bell Tower Shopping Center, located at the intersection of Daniels Road (the main road coming out of the airport) and Cleveland. About three miles from the park. Liked the Herb Rubbed Salmon. They also have a limited sushi menu.

The Prawnbroker. This spot and Nino's were the first places I was told to go to during my first spring training in 1998. Here's the menu.

The University Grill. There's actually a little bit of everything here - plus a good martini menu.

The Bonefish Grill. Hadn't been here in awhile but went last week. Order the Bang Bang Shrimp for the appetizer. Had the Imperial Longfin. It was excellent. Again, order the Bang Bang shrimp. Get there early - and order the Bang Bang Shrimp,

SOB Very good food. Former Beached Whale employees work here, so it's a lively atmosphere!! There's a place two doors down called the Yucatan that I've never been to but it's supposed to be good. And it's always busy. SOB has changed something in its Oysters Rockefeller that has disappointed me.

The Mucky Duck. If you don't mind a little drive, head out to Captiva Island to catch the sunset here (the island rubes APPLAUD the sunset!). Haven't made it there yet this year but was very good last year. Had the Scallops Au Gratin, yum.

Skip One Seafood (NEW ENTRY) I have been berated for years by one loyal reader for not trying this place. I've driven past it - it's located off US 41 a couple miles south of Six-Mile Cypress - and have seen lines spilling out into the parking lot. But I've blown it off. I finally went in a couple weeks ago. It's a run-down looking shack with worn-out tables inside. I ordered clam chowder and the fried grouper bites - and immediately kicked myself for not trying the place years ago. The grouper bites are, indeed, fried but are moist and flavorful. And the chowder was very good. Skip One has now opened a new location next to that monstrous mini-golf course you pass on the way to Fort Myers Beach.

Sushi

Tim's Magic Wok . Located next to Nino's. Very friendly staff. I'll never forget the time I ran into Matthew LeCroy here and watched him eat rolls with his hands. The sushi here is sneaky good. Great lunch special: Three rolls for 12.95. Boom.

Blu. Good sushi. Has become a trendy evening spot. There's some crazy drink special for women on Thursdays that packs the place. Especially the Gulf Coast Town Center location. Lots of funky specialty drinks. They have Zulu Shrimp as an appetizer, which is similar to Bang Bang Shrimp.

Origami Know some people who believe this is the best sushi around.

Mexican

Cantina Laredo. Excellent. One of my favorite places in the area. You can order the guacamole to be made right at your table!

Iguana Mia. It's no Cantina Laredo but still solid good..

BBQ

I strongly urge you to head down to Naples one night and dine at Michelbob's.

They import their ribs from Denmark, and it comes off the bone so easily and I'm salivating as I write this. The owner is from Minnesota and I'm friends with his son-in-law, Lou Bavaro. Lou has worked hard the past couple of years to get Michelbob's available at Byerly's and Lund's in the Twin Cities, so some of you might recognize the name. But now he's at the Naples location, waiting for me with a bib. As far as BBQ goes, this comes with my highest recommendation.

Lee Roy Selmon's

Another new addition, this place is more like a southern style eatery than BBQ joint. Former Twin and current food critic Michael Cuddyer suggested the Sweet Heat Fried Chicken sandwich,and it is very good. Joe C, likes the pulled pork sandwich. This place has a bunch of TV's around the bar - and WiFi. Again, WiFi is key. I always get a cup of gumbo with the meal.

Sports Bars..or sort of

The Beached Whale. This was the first place I visited the first time I drove over to Fort Myers Beach. Looks like a burger joint but is a little more than that. For happy hour, half-priced wings and flatbread are very good. The daily dinner specials usually are pretty strong. The writers from the Associated Press like the Cuban Whale sandwich. JoeC? Pulled Pork and the Blackened Grouper sandwich. After a brief absence, Oysters Rockefeller are back! The deck is a great place to hang out. There are TV's everywhere to watch sports. Some of my favorite staff members have left The Whale, but it's still worth a visit, especially if you are on the beach during the NCAA hoops tournament. Bands play there nightly.

Stevie Tomato's. I wasn't the biggest fan of the food here. The only purpose it serves is that it's a good place to watch sports. Note: Stevie T's has moved to a location near I-75 - between Hammond Stadium and jetBlue Park - and the food is better.

Pott's Sports Cafe. Definitely better food than Stevie Tomato's. Sandwhiches hit the spot. A certain father of a certain local superstar loves the wings there. Watch out on Wednesday's - that's Karaoke night. Eek. But great to watch NCAA tournament games. And they will look for Wild and Gophers games to turn on,

Shoeless Joe's. This is located in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in the Bell Tower Shops. Fritz is the manager there. Good guy. Good menu, It also has wi-fi (key!). They have all the sports packages, so the scribes have been meeting here to watch Wolves and Gophers games.

Ron Dao's. Short story. I was looking for a place to get some work done a few years ago while watching soccer. Did a search and found this place - with WiFi!!! Walked in...and it is huge! TV's all over the place. I ordered a pizza with shrimp on it, and it rocked! The only drawback is that it's out of the way. But if you want a good pizza and want to watch sports, this is worth the visit.

Other

Just down the road from Hammond Stadium is a Sun Harvest Market. Friends have stopped by there and have raved about the fruit and juices. I finally stopped in here last week. The strawberry stand is right near the entrance, so the smells hit you right away. Also...there are FREE juice samples! There's also a U.S. Post Office outlet, for reasons I don't know.

Cigars

I enjoy a good cigar now and then. And there's no better place to have one than The Cigar Bar. There are two locations in town. In recent years, I can be found at the Gulf Coast Town Center location. I like Rocky Patel cigars, in case anyone wants to buy one for me! Actually Rocky lives down here and will stop by from time to time. Randy and Brooke are managers there and are great people. One of the bartenders, Jaimie, is from Buffalo, Minn. and remains a huge Twins fan. Luis Tiant, who has his own cigar line, stops by every couple of weeks.

Burn Rocky Patel has his own place in Naples. If you want to rub elbows with the beautiful people, there's no other place. A DJ comes in on weekends and the place hops.

More options

If you are looking for dining, shopping and other things rolled into one, here are a few places to remember:

Belle Tower Shops. This is where the Blue Pointe and Grimaldi's are. By the way, I'm a Chicago guy who loves deep dish pizza. Grimaldi's is not deep dish but some of the best pizza I've ever had.

Coconut Point. Opened a couple years ago and is south of Fort Myers. Lots of shopping. The Blue Water Bistro is excellent.

Gulf Coast Town Center. A very popular place just one exit south of Daniels Road off of I-75. There's a movie theater, plenty of dining (I like P.F. Chang's and but not big on the Miller Ale House) and evening activities. Connor's Steak and Seafood opened a couple years ago. Pricey but good. There's Bar Louie, where the beautiful people go to. Blu sushi is across from Bar Louie, so the beautiful people bounce between the two locations, then the older members of the beautiful people club wander around the corner into The Cigar Bar.

That's it folks! Let me know if you run across any other spots you like down here!